The stench of an animal's den invading my senses. Only a handful of steps into the entrance and already choking on dander and musk. Throwing my sleeve over my face and taking off my pack. Two torches. Matches. Rope. Grappling hook. The pouch partially filled with stones. The cookpot, two bowls and spoons. Some jerky. Two canteens, one empty, one only half full. My newly made custom pipe. A small pouch of tobacco. Yesterday's underclothes. And, there, my bandanna. Should probably invest in a Light scroll or two, or maybe one of those crystals. Well, maybe not the crystal, at least a torch is reliable when dropped.
Reequipped and resituated. Near fifty percent mana with the next tick due in thirty five minutes. Face covered and eyes peeled. Torch hand leading, dagger stowed, and my hatchet hand prepared. Getting to the bottom of the stone stairs, with the smell of unwashed bodies and animal suffusing the area.
“Another?” The voice coming from a figure approaching from the gloom. An older man, shaggy hair and piercing eyes, undoubtedly touched by the temple, wearing simple, loose robes.
“Don't come any closer.” Raising my axe. “Where are they?”
“Calm yourself,” he says. “You're welcome here. I can feel the blessing of the Great One.”
Feeling cold sweat dripping down the small of my back and discovering the sudden need to take a hot shower. Readjusting my grip on the hatchet and gesturing with the torch.
“Where are they?”
“Making preparations to enter the reliquary chambers. Please, we mean you no harm.”
“Take me to them. No sudden moves.” Lowering my readied hatchet and bringing the torch down a fraction.
Following a couple steps behind. Some twists and turns and several closed doors. My guide passing by an opening to the right, the smell of animal noticeably more pungent from that direction. Hesitating, letting him continue, then making the turn into the more natural cavern. My torchlight partially filling the open area. Straw and bones on the floor. And them. Scampering away from the light and huddling into the shadows. Showing the unmistakable signs, their forms corrupted by the temple.
“The Great One provides...”
“...she smells fresh...”
“...new mate...”
“...Outsider...”
“...barren...”
“...worthless...”
“...can be remade...”
“...bears His touch...”
“...she can be made ready...”
"...welcome sister..."
“Mine, first.” A deep snarl coming from the right.
One of the huddling forms rushing forward. Lean, not emaciated, and reaching out a clawed hand. It had been a man. A muzzle protruding and an open mouth showing teeth. Fur covering the majority of his arm, face and torso. His chest hair a tangle of knotted mats, his member bobbing and his hand and forearm entering my range.
Using a pulse of the shield to halt his arm's forward momentum, then encasing the outstretched limb up to the elbow within a new field. Too slow to pull back to defend himself from my hatchet's readied hack. Nose and the entire bottom of his jaw split, an axe head protruding from the front of his neck. The monster forgetting entirely about grabbing me, his other hand coming up to try and seal the hole left by the axe and staunch the flow of blood into his own lungs. Taking a second hack to the forehead and my attacker slumping to the floor, releasing both gurgles and heart-blood, his one arm still held by the shield. Lycoan Acolyte. A hundred and forty experience.
The shield's crackling flashes causing much of the grotto beyond the my torch to light up. About a dozen of them, cultists, both men and women. Not wearing pilfered fur coats with pilfered fur hats, and little glued-on, pilfered fur tails. The fur growing from them. One of the women feeding four pups at once. Bloodied bones and partially eaten carrion carelessly strewn around the room. Howling, and a sudden frenzy, as they sought to cover their faces and ears from the bursts of light and sound.
Not in Nico's group anymore. This is real fucking bad. Hopefully the teleport did that and he hasn't already been ripped to pieces. Being able to vanish and turn invisible right now would be so useful. Glancing around at the lycanthropes. My only option is stoking fear to keep them back.
Deactivating the shield, the body fully falling to the floor, and the horrible screams of rage and pain replaced by whining and growling snarls. Stuck with spots in my vision from the shield, but keeping my torch up and in front of me.
“Try anything and you'll be-”
My bluff interrupted by a growl from behind. Glancing back. My guide had returning and was now in the process of catching me red handed. His growl intensifying to fill the stone cavern, prompting whimpers and whines from the cultists still staying outside the ring of torchlight. Undoubtedly a Priest of the temple, his features taking on a distinctly lupine cast.
“Try not to wander off.” His rasping voice coming through clenched teeth, sharp and exposed.
Really need to learn how to tattoo myself. Only a small design, a little fissure. The heart wouldn't be a bad location. Not the most pleasant way to go, but much better than being ripped apart by these things. Or any number of other worse than death scenarios. Hopefully they aren't turning Nico into hors d'oeuvres piece at a time, keeping him alive for several days. Two deaths like that at the Spider Temple. The first one had been plenty filling. The second, punishment for greedy gluttony. But maybe this is worse than that. The Spider Temple cultists had been been perfectly satisfied to use me as food for the young, they never threatened to try and make me one of them. Not even sure that's possible, but after everything that's happened, after voluntarily rendering myself speechless by joining the Pact, maybe something like that's not outside the realm of possibility. My eyes going over to the thing on the right, now reconcealed in darkness. She had been reclining, her litter of pups suckling from four of her teats.
“Outsider.”
The Priest bringing me back to the present. Have to get Nico and get out.
Working my jaw to to break my petrified, hateful rictus. Feeling the blood from the hatchet swings dripping down the left side of my face. Fear, as always, a useful, clarifying emotion. A primal component of survival. Taken seriously when afflicted, and used just as seriously to afflict. Choking the fear down, swallowing its lessons and the acid reflux into my gut. Backing out of the room, my hatchet primed to strike any more that make a move.
Backing all the way up to the worked stone wall and slowly bringing my eyes to look at the Priest. Expecting to see the monster, but finding only the older man once again.
“I'm very sorry you had to witness that.” The monster not all gone, some of the transformation still in his teeth and jaw, but mostly hidden inside his beard. “They're some of our still manageable brothers and sisters. Since the Great One's absence we've been providing for them, trying to ease their condition. What's happened to them is sadly a large part of the reason you've been brought here. Your companion should be just up ahead.”
Following a couple paces behind, and not deviating this time. Making a turn and the greasy knot of fear beginning to untangle in my stomach. There he is. Him and Vesper. And not a light source in sight. Not for him. Not for the two Priests standing nearby. Not for the Priestess currently speaking to him. A pretty, young looking woman also wearing a similar, loose robe. Friendly. Pressing her chest into his arm.
“Nico!” Get your claws off him, you bitch.
“Lucy.” Turning and walking toward me. The girl's fingers curling ever so quickly, before ever so quickly releasing his arm.
“Sorry, I got a little bit lost.” Reaching out my hand. Real and reassuring. Rejoining his group.
“What happened?” Taking stock of my face and tightly gripped hatchet.
Feeling the eyes of all the Priests on me. We have to get out here. They're so much worse than they appear.
“I was just starting to tell her the reason your aid has been requested,” my escort smoothly interjects. “We've sealed this part of the complex because, well, there's no easy way to say it, but we had to seal it because our brothers and sisters inside have have lost their minds. The ritual we need to perform in order to fix the situation requires some of our most holy relics. Unfortunately, they're also inside this section. The three that we require are a staff, about so high, with a silver bell on top. A recovered tooth of the Great One, one of his canines. And, lastly, his preserved paw, containing his most holy and sacred dew claw.”
A ritual. Rituals mean sacrifice. That's probably our actual place in this whole charade.
“Do you have any further questions before you begin?”
“No, I think I'm ready,” says Wilde, removing his pack from his shoulder and starting to open it. All four Priests bringing their hands up to cover their noses.
“That's good.” The Priest touching his arm, forestalling him. “We'll give you some distance while you complete your preparations to enter. When you have the relics give the door three sharp knocks and we'll open it from this side. Good luck.” The Priest looking at me. “If they do attack, I understand you may need to defend yourselves, but otherwise please do what you can to make sure they don't come to harm.”
“I'll try.” Going down swinging.
The three Lycoan Priests, and Priestess, moving a decent distance away, back in the direction of the entrance, conveniently managing to block the exit. Wilde opening his pack and getting out the supplies.
“Lucy,” he says, “I'm grateful you came out here with me on this. I know this isn't what either of us was expecting, so please wait for me here. Knowing you're here will give me something to come back to.”
Looking at him now. He's afraid, and still trying to put on a brave face to protect me. That's my place here, then. Support him, pretend this is actually some real quest, some real test of courage, and not us being lured into this hole to be killed or worse. Focus on helping him first and then make sure we don't get captured alive. My eyes sliding over to Vesper. But not before dealing with the thing that got us stuck down here in the first place. The wolf noticing my stare.
“I'm going with you and that's that.”
The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
“I don't think-”
“They're sensitive to light, and they're afraid my shield. There's probably dozens in there. How are you walking around with no torch, anyway?”
“It's bright enough.”
No, it absolutely isn't. That isn't night vision. That's seeing in the dark.
“With both of us in there we'll be able to find what we're looking for faster, and more eyes means we'll both be safer.” We'll be safer together than split up.
“How can...” Wilde muttering the rest of his sentence. “Okay.” Pulling out a mason jar from his pack and opening it, the smell from the concoction inside bursting though the minor filtration of my bandanna and causing Vesper to let out a small, surprised yelp and do several quick spins while backing away.
“What's in there?”
“A simple recipe for animal repellent I learned in the guild. Works well against a number of monsters, but specific ones can be attracted by it. Vinegar, urine, and dried, powdered peppers. I figured it'd be more effective than what Koln asked me to get. I did get those things, too, but none of them have this kick.” Putting some on his hand an applying it to his clothing. Holding the jar out to me. “You can still back out if you want.” Wiggling both the jar and his eyebrows, momentarily turning my mood on its head.
“This isn't enough to put me off. Hold this for a second and let me see that.” Dipping my now torchless hand into the jar and applying the foul liquid to my outfit. Giving me a little shake of his head. How's Nico so simultaneously charming and stupid? My attention going back to Vesper, the wolf's slow retreat continuing apace. “C'mere.” Not backing away anymore but not coming closer. Getting another handful of the liquid and heading toward the cause of our current predicament.
“Lucy, you may not want to...” The man trailing off, perplexed. Vesper's stare promising retribution at a later date, but submitting to the liquid being petted into his back. He had two clear choices: the repellant, or the axe.
“Nico, you're right, he really does like me.” Crouching down and lowering my voice. “Isn't that right, Vesper? You like me.” Totally busted. The wolf visibly going through all the stages of grief in about two heartbeats. “Let's you and me get Nico through this. What do you say?” Scratching his ears.
Not saying anything in return. Good boy.
“Ready?” Handing back my torch.
“Ready.”
Nico unbarring the door and setting the plank off to the side. Gripping his spear and giving me a nod. Pulling it open and his weapon entering, point first. Our group getting a few steps in and the door shutting behind us and being rebarred.
A large mess hall. Some tables broken, with benches overturned, tossed or destroyed. The broken wood joining gnawed bones littering the floor. Growling and shadows moving just beyond the radius of light.
“There's,” Wilde's whisper barely audible, “more than a couple in here. We need to move. From what they said, it's a few rooms in.”
The three of us staying very close together, and the shadows moving unnaturally at the edges of the light as we male our way through the room. The door at the exit of the room torn half off its hinges. A short hallway leading to a dormitory. Mattresses scattered and torn apart on the floor, hay and feathers, and more gnawed bones covering the area. Scraping and growls following us from all sides. A hallway going straight and then making the first left. Stepping into a large, square area and feeling a sense of calm. The floor somewhat dusty, but clear. My torchlight revealing prayer mats neatly stacked off to the side and a stone statue of Koln in the center of the room.
Well done. The voice filling our minds. You have shown great courage thus far. Retrieve the necessary relics from the room behind me. Feel free to take anything else you see fit from within.
At the other end of the room, beyond the statue, a large, ornate door. Wilde producing a key, unlocking the door and the three of us entering. A large office with a high ceiling, about twenty feet in every direction. Thick carpet covering the floor and books lining the shelves on the walls all the way to the top.
“This whole thing has been way too easy.”
“Lucy, why'd you have to go and say that? That's bad luck.”
“I know. I know I'm jinxing it, but I can't help it. This all feels wrong.”
“Maybe we just came properly prepared. Preparation is nine tenths of success.”
“Maybe. But getting these doodads and getting out of here isn't what I'm worried about. I'm more worried about what's going to happen once we bring them this stuff.”
“That's what you're worried about? You know what I think? I think you-” His voice raising with each word before stopping himself short. Looking at Vesper for a few moments. “I think we're all on edge.” Taking a breath and looking at me. “And I know you're concerned, but let's worry about that once we get out of here.”
“Fine.”
The two of us splitting up in order to search. The staff with the bell right in the open, leaning against one of the shelves. Vesper discovering the forepaw, enormous and still oozing blood. The spectral version of Koln apparently about fifty percent smaller than his previous worldly incarnation. The teeth not obviously laying out in the open. Opening drawers and shifting through items on the shelves. Finally Wilde discovering them in the bottom drawer of a desk. Two canines, with handles attached, turning them into ritual weapons. Opening my pack to stow some of the other goodies that had been laying about.
“What'd you find?”
“Some kind of metallic wand. Shocking blast. It has charge but I'm not really proficient with it. Three scrolls, one that turns a few berries into several meals, Resist Elements, and then Feather Fall. You ever use a Feather Fall scroll?” Shaking his head. “It's fun to use but scary when you first jump. And then they had a couple rings and this chain necklace laying around. Maybe they're just jewelry, maybe they're something better. And gold, twelve pieces.”
And then another scroll. Long and complicated, not immediately decipherable. It isn't Melgorehn's Mask, it's something else.
“You did pretty well.”
“We did pretty well. You want to keep looking? They probably have a bunch more stuff we could use.”
Wilde considering for a moment, then shaking his head. “No, we shouldn't. We used like three quarters of the repellent getting here, and its potency fades over time. We should apply the rest and get out.”
Reapplying the rest of the liquid from his jar, lighting my last torch and exiting the room with relics in hand.
Well done, your actions are truly a testament to your courage. I have chosen well for the upcoming difficulties that are going to engulf the world. Know that your deeds here today have made the difference between... Koln's congratulations fading behind us as we choose to ignore him on the way out.
Retracing our steps and the beasts continuing to keep their distance. Getting all the way back to the barred entrance. Knock knock knock. Waiting a few moments. Nothing. Knock knock knock. The scrapes and growls in the surrounding shadows getting ominously louder. Nothing.
Did they wander away, or is this treachery? May have to reveal one of my hidden trumps, but which would be less dangerous to show? Hands turning into razors and cutting through the door, or simply making the entire door malleable and opening it that way. Matheson, and maybe a few others, already know about Carve. Better to use that, then. It's cheaper to cast, anyway.
“Nico, can you hold the torch for a second?”
“Sure, give it-”
The sound of the door being unbarred from the other side rendering my request irrelevant. Readying my hatchet. The face of the older Priest, fingers clamped over his nose, appearing on the other side. No immediate sign of treachery.
“You have them?” Asking in a nasally voice. “Good. Come with me back to the surface and we'll perform the ritual.”
Following the Priest back to the surface, through the dark halls, and past the lightless grotto off to the side. After some twists and turns feeling a shift in the air, the promise of freedom and safety. Climbing the staircase back to the surface.
Already dusk. The two other Priests and the Priestess standing ready. Our Priest making a gesture and Wilde handing over the relics: the two ritual daggers, the staff with the bell and the still dripping paw.
The Lycoan Priests directing us off to the side, to a spot downwind, and settling into their work. Moving in a circle and using the dripping paw to draw diagrams. Curved lines depicting the phases of the moon. A filled in spot for full and a blank for new. Drawing an inner ring of what look to be runes. Some pieces of the Animate diagram, similar, at least, but not in the same order. Pieces of Runic Circle, as well. And then others, somewhat familiar in shape, but, by and large, warped or unknown.
An unknown spell of some kind. Feeling the sudden urge to turn around and head back down to the room with all the books in order to secure their secrets, but reaching out instead to the diagram and tentatively feeding it a few drops of mana, which are eagerly sucked in. Giving it some more.
With the drawing complete, the Priests and the Priestess taking their positions at what had to be cardinal directions. Chanting, one waving the staff and jangling the bell, the Priestess cutting her own hand and adding her blood to the now softly glowing forms and sigils. Walking over to us and holding out the tooth to Wilde.
“It's only thanks to you. Add your essence and the ritual will be ready.”
“You shouldn't-” My voice silenced by a sudden pressure. Unable to move and unable to speak. Wilde walking closer to the circle. Taking the ritual dagger and making the cut. Reaching out to the runes and finding my small bit of mana now swirling among an entire filled pool. Wilde's blood hitting the ground and the diagram pulsing with light, causing the Great Wolf Spirit Koln to coalesce in front of us, significantly more solid looking than even earlier in the day.
Ahem. A touch of irritation coming through. As I was trying to say to you earlier, well done. Your actions are truly a testament to your courage. I have chosen well for the upcoming difficulties that are going to engulf the world. Dominic, as my ambassador to your people, as the tip of my spear in this upcoming conflict, I have a gift to bestow upon you. Come to me.
Don't do it. The words not coming out. Reaching out to the swirling mass to try and bring my added mana together.
Wilde taking several steps forward into the diagram.
I have seen inside your heart and I know your intentions are pure. Pledge yourself once more to my cause.
Don't do it. Gathering the mana together and trying to use it to press against the outside of the rune structure, to puncture the design and destroy the ritual.
“Koln, your cause is mine. I swear it.”
A surge of energy from the display striking and filling him. Trying desperately to push against the outside of the structure, but limited amount of mana not enough to break through. Adding more of my mana and bringing it to join the rest. Too late. The energy coursing from the ground running through him coming together at his hand and forming into an ornate, glowing weapon. A halberd.
That weapon is both proof of your dedication and proof of our bond. I say again, well done. The large wolf's attention turning to me. As for you, little jackal, your presence has been a most unexpected bonus. Support your companion through the hardships and tribulations in the coming days ahead.
At his praise, the pressure holding me mute and locked in place releasing itself. The large, not-as-spectral wolf's attention changing to my right.
My son, your task, your reason for being, is nearly complete. Come join the circle to serve as my vessel, so that I may once again feast upon this world's delights.
Vesper appearing to be released from the same sort of field that had held me. Looking at the place where he had been directed, the empty space denoting the new moon.
“What's going to happen to him?” Finally managing to voice my concern. Much, much too late to make any real difference.
He's being afforded a great honor.
His sacrifice is a great honor? Preposterous. That only means Vesper will be gone and we'll get a ravenous, lying windbag in return. That isn't a reasonable trade at all. Using every drop of my illicitly added mana to push against the side of the ritual. Starting to bulge. Vesper doing a slow, death walk over to his assigned place, head down and resigned. Looking at Wilde on the way over to give a final farewell. The man not noticing. The rune structure bulging some more from my effort, distending, and, finally, my pocket of mana puncturing through the perimeter.
My own runes when disassembled, small, trifling matters. Some minor amount of power released harmlessly into the world. This rune structure, however, currently in operation and holding the projected form of their dog-god-thing, a significantly more momentous event.
What's going ooooonnnnnnnn...... Koln's form, and his mental wail, being sucked into the ether.
A shockwave of power erupting from the center as the pent up energy tears my puncture even larger. Crouching down and covering my face, and being bowled over by the explosion. The ground beneath us shaking violently and cracking in places. Unsteadily getting back to my feet. Vesper, still outside of the circle, also managing to get back to his. The Priests and Priestess in various states of disarray, still on the ground, but fur starting to sprout and their faces twisting. Wilde down on one knee, with a hand to his head, but otherwise looking uninjured. His newly gifted weapon nowhere to be found. Running over and trying to help him up.
“C'mon, we gotta go.”
“What happened?”
“We have to go right now.”
Managing to help him to his feet.
“Vesper!” The wolf, skittish and unsure, giving me a surprised look. “What're you waiting for? We need to run.”